Election Results

As expected, the result of the German election revealed gains for the Monarchists (Nationalists) and Communists and losses for the Moderates. The new Reichstag is vastly more interesting than the last but will undoubtedly prove more turbulent. The Moderates, however, secured a majority, but are not in such a strong position as formerly. Groups. A provisional list of the new Reichstagers by groups: Moderates 229 Monarchists 141 Communists 59 Others 19 Individuals. Among the more prominent men elected or reflected: Chancellor Marx (Moderate), Foreign Minister Stresemann (Moderate), Count von Bernstorff, ex-German Ambassador to the U. S. (Moderate), ex-Chancellor Wirth (Moderate), the notorious "brawler" Erich von Ludendorff (Monarchist), Prince Otto von Bismarck (Monarchist), nephew of the Iron Chancellor; bewhiskered Admiral von Tirpitz (Monarchist).

Scene. At Potsdam, described as "a silk stocking district of Berlin," where the former Imperial Court held sway, princes of the blood royal, princes not of the royal blood, and strings of the lesser nobility, all with high sounding titles, went to the polls to record their votes. The election officials, good Republicans, "bowed and scraped" as each of the Kaiser's men and women recorded his or her vote.

Significance. Because of numerous interpellations of the coalition Government's fiscal policy, put forward under the Special Full Power Emer- gency Act of last October, Chancellor Marx called upon President Ebert to dissolve the Reichstag (TIME, March 24). Since that time, however, the Dawes report entered very actively into German politics and became coalesced with the financial reforms championed by the Government. The return of this Government to power signifies the acceptance of the Dawes plan by a majority of the German nation; but the plan cannot be passed without the Monarchists' support, for its railway clauses require a constitutional amendment and that requires a two-thirds majority of the Reichstag.

About 75% of the electorate voted. Every Party lost seats except the Monarchists and the Communists, their gains being 54 and 44 respectively.